Charles Babbage was an English mathematician, philosopher, inventor, and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer. In 1822, He proposed a "Difference Engine" to the British Government to perform calculations and create more accurate tables for the Military. The Difference Engine was to be steam powered and be as large as a room. It was never completed by Babbage.
In 1991, a perfectly functioning difference engine was constructed from Babbage's original plans. Built to tolerances achievable in the 19th century, the success of the finished engine indicated that Babbage's machine would have worked. Nine years later, the Science Museum completed the printer Babbage had designed for the difference engine, an astonishingly complex device for the 19th century. Considered a "father of the computer" . Babbage is credited with inventing the first mechanical computer that eventually led to more complex designs.
The first mechanical computer was called
Soon after the attempt at making the difference engine crumbled, Babbage started designing a different, more complex machine called the Analytical Engine. The engine is not a single physical machine but a succession of designs that he tinkered with until his death in 1871. The main difference between the two engines is that the Analytical Engine could be programmed using punched cards. He realized that programs could be put on these cards so the person had only to create the program initially, and then put the cards in the machine and let it run.
Ada Lovelace, an impressive mathematician, and one of the few people who fully understood Babbage's ideas, created a program for the Analytical Engine. Lovelace is now widely credited with being the first computer programmer.
Charles Babbage
In 1991, a perfectly functioning difference engine was constructed from Babbage's original plans. Built to tolerances achievable in the 19th century, the success of the finished engine indicated that Babbage's machine would have worked. Nine years later, the Science Museum completed the printer Babbage had designed for the difference engine, an astonishingly complex device for the 19th century. Considered a "father of the computer" . Babbage is credited with inventing the first mechanical computer that eventually led to more complex designs.
The first mechanical computer was called
The Analytic Engine
Soon after the attempt at making the difference engine crumbled, Babbage started designing a different, more complex machine called the Analytical Engine. The engine is not a single physical machine but a succession of designs that he tinkered with until his death in 1871. The main difference between the two engines is that the Analytical Engine could be programmed using punched cards. He realized that programs could be put on these cards so the person had only to create the program initially, and then put the cards in the machine and let it run.
Ada Lovelace, an impressive mathematician, and one of the few people who fully understood Babbage's ideas, created a program for the Analytical Engine. Lovelace is now widely credited with being the first computer programmer.
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References:
"Charles Babbage." Accessed from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_babbage